MSLN BlazerS
by Yami Kero
Summary: First attempt at re-writing. Several years after StrikerS. Six new recruits are transferred to Section Six. A case considered unsolved is still in the air, a prophecy discovered and attacks within Sect. Six causes conflict in and out. FxN. Same plot.
1. Prologue

Hi guys, Yami Kero here. After careful evaluation of my first attempt at a Nanoha fanfic, I've decided to try and re-write the whole fanfic that I was working on, while adding in stuff here and there in which I felt it could help explain a bit more than from my previous attempt. What my plan was when starting this was to tie in bits from both the manga connection of A's to StrikerS as well as the anime, and additional material from the Sound Stage Drama CDs. Also…I had to re-think on how I originally thought this was going to go out as, but then something gave me an idea which made have to re-write on the thought process of my sub-villain. The reason being was that two films sort of gave me the idea yet I'm combining elements from both films and trying to increment them into this fanfic.

I realized that the first time I wrote the fanfic that there weren't many that understood the Japanese language, so…I've decided to just stick with two things in regards to terms, which are the honorifics as well as the so-called military terms (just from the interpretations that I've come across from both manga and anime series), yet as one author already told me that it's just probably better for me to stick with just writing it in English. Also…one of the other things that I'm obviously going to add besides Japanese are a few other languages. In order to try and stay true to the Wolkenritter characters, I'm obviously going to utilize the German language, as well as adding two other languages for two reasons. 1.) To list out seven things (I'll explain the significance of the number seven in my second chapter) for one language and 2.) To list out different attacks for another fighting style (one that I've created myself, yet description-wise might and might not sound as original, but is slightly similar in terms of Belkan-style ability). I'll explain more about that part in a later chapter. However…I'm going to give all readers a quick heads up here. In terms of Japanese term usage…there's only going to be _**one**_…that's right…one…term that I'll be using, and it's actually a concept that originated from a country in Asia. (Though there might be some that might figure it out before I even mention it).

Note: Bold italicized words – telepathic message.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha or any of the characters whatsoever, just the OC's I've created. The credit for the Nanoha series goes to Keizou Kusakawa, the director of the series and Masaki Tsuzuki the writer of the series.

With that said, enjoy and happy reading.

_Prologue_:

[_Timeframe__: 2 years ago; _

_Setting__: TSAB Armed Forces, North Midchilda 4__th__ Regiment, Ground Forces Military Academy_].

There was quite a lot of chatter amongst many of the new trainees as each went to check onto which room he/she was as well as the roommate/partner the person was paired with based on their exam results and their interviews or were already talking with the person that he/she was paired with. One of the trainees that was looking up his room number had light blue hair, light green eyes, had a small build and sported a small bracelet with an aquamarine gem on his right arm. A young female trainee was a few feet away from the young man that was checking his room number had short red hair and aquamarine eyes.

"Let's see…the room I'm assigned to would be…" said the young man

"My assigned room number is…" began the young woman.

"Number…38"

The two of them gave a brief glance to the other when they realized they were put in the same room.

"I see you're in the same room as I am. My name's Shiro Higurashi, age 16. Just call me Shiro. Nice to meet you," replied the young man.

"So it seems. I'm Mizuki Tenrow, age 15. It's a pleasure to meet you Shiro-kun," replied the red-head.

"I guess we're partners from now on," said Shiro. "We should probably unpack and get ready for training sessions."

Shiro didn't noticed as he was getting his bag that Mizuki was staring at him for some reason. Unbeknownst to the young man was that he was getting glances not only from her, but other girls as well. The whispers and giggles from some of them as he looked up and looked around made him feel a bit uneasy.

'I seriously don't get why they're looking at me. I mean sure, I have some good looks but…do they have to point it out?' he wondered.

'I can't believe how adorable he looks. His hair sparkling like the light hitting a lake…I can see why he's getting looks from some of the other female trainees,' thought Mizuki, still looking at Shiro.

"What is it?" he asked, causing Mizuki to snap out of her staring.

"It's nothing. Well…it's just that…" she began.

"I know that some of the others are looking at me as well. I don't mind, as long as I'm not getting surrounded. I sometimes prefer keeping my distance," said Shiro. "Shall we get going?"

"O-of course," said Mizuki, following behind him.

As they quickly got ready for the morning training, Mizuki tried to engage Shiro in a conversation, but he was mostly quiet once he finished. Shiro had gone out of the room they were in and waited outside considering that she was changing and he wanted to respect the girl's privacy. When preparations were set, they both headed to the weapons room where an instructor was already waiting. The weapons room was near the exit to the training grounds, where a few more instructors were waiting outside. The crowd was pretty big, considering that there was quite a lot of competition. Shiro and Mizuki were way in the back as the instructor in front began calling out numbers for each trainee.

"Speaking of which Shiro…what type of style do you use?" asked Mizuki.

"Good thing you asked. I suppose mine's a combination of both Mid-Childan and Belkan, but for the most part…it's Belkan. The reason being is…" he began, as he took out his weapon, which resembled a gun at first glance, but then there was also a gun hilt on right side and a scabbard on his left, and a small sheathe for a dagger. With a push of a switch and a hard flick of the arm, the gun instantly changed to a long curved sword with the guard section of the sword in a circle-shape.

"I can see why," said Mizuki.

"The circle-shaped guard transforms into a winding gear that's used for my anchor gun. If I did a quick flick after pushing the switch, it would revert to a dagger form. A much hard flick with the use of my arm converts it to the sword form that you see before you," explained Shiro.

"I guess diversity does have its advantages," said Mizuki.

"You could say that," replied Shiro. "What about you?"

"It's Mid-Childan for the most part yet it uses a Belkan cartridge system," replied Mizuki, taking out her gun. Hers was slightly different from Shiro's in that it had a longer barrel and that loading the bullets were a bit different as well. Mizuki's magazine clips were full moon shaped and Shiro noticed that on her left arm was a leather bracer.

"Looks like you do archery as well," guessed Shiro.

"Sort of. Just like your weapon, mine can double into a crossbow form which is a little more useful than a standard bow and arrow," explained Mizuki.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, someone accidentally bumped into Shiro as they were talking. Shiro turned around and his eyes widened in shock when he immediately recognized who it was. The person that bumped into him was a young girl that had light brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking," she said. A sudden gasp escaped the girl's lips when she saw whom she had bumped into.

"Ka-Karou-sa-san?"

"Sh-Shiro-san?"

"I can't believe that I'd find you here of all places. It's been a long time," said Shiro.

"It's been too long, Shiro. Funny that I'd run into you again," said Kaoru.

"You two know each other?" asked Mizuki.

"We were neighbors back then when we were little. Shiro's my childhood friend," explained Kaoru.

"Oh…Kaoru…this is Mizuki Tenrow. She's my roommate and partner. Mizuki…Kaoru," explained Shiro.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kaoru," said Mizuki, extending her hand.

"Likewise, Miss Tenrow," she replied, accepting it.

"Who are you partnered with?" asked Mizuki.

"That would be me," replied a young female voice.

The three of them turned to see a young woman with long black hair, and light blue eyes.

"My name's Relena Gramfield, age 17. Nice to meet you," she said.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Shiro Higurashi, age 16," replied Shiro. "My partner is Mizuki Tenrow, age 15."

"It's nice to meet you," said Mizuki, extending a hand.

"Likewise," said Relena, accepting it.

"What room number are you two?" asked Kaoru.

"Room number 38 and you?" asked Mizuki.

"Room number 36," replied Relena.

"We're right next to each other," realized Shiro, "since the odd numbers are on the left and the even numbers are on the right."

"I'm thinking the reason we got paired up like this is that we have non-standard devices," guessed Mizuki.

"I agree. I'm not sure if it's that common though," said Relena.

Mizuki noticed that Shiro was silent for a moment and went into a telepathic channel.

'_**What's wrong**_**?**' she asked.

'_**It's a bit odd but…this was also the same place that my older brother got his training while I was at home brushing up on my shooting and swordsmanship skills**_,' replied Shiro.

'_**Really? That's kinda cool**_,' said Mizuki.

"Excuse me…you four over there," called out one of the instructors.

"Yes sir?" asked Shiro.

"You guys don't seem to use the standard devices. If you'll please head over to the training grounds, so that the other trainees can get through, it would help ease this traffic," said the instructor.

"We're sorry sir," said Relena. "Let's go Kaoru."

"Let's talk during lunch, OK?" called out Kaoru.

"Sure," replied Shiro.

Once outside, Shiro was just as surprised as to how large and wide it was. There were already various people that were formed into teams. Shiro heard a whistle blow and one of the nearby instructors came over and called their number.

"Team A, hurry and deploy!" he shouted.

"Yes sir!" replied Shiro, with Mizuki beside him.

"You're objective is to clear those objects and maintain formation until you've reached the end of the course, understood?" he explained.

"Yes sir!" they replied.

"Team 38…ready…"

Shiro then sent a quick telepathic message to Mizuki just split seconds before they began.

'_**I'll cover front, you cover the rear…got it**_**?**' inquired Shiro.

'_**Sure…I've got it**_,' replied Mizuki.

"Go!" he shouted, as he blew the whistle.

The course consisted of several orange cones going down and several blocks that had hidden targets. Some of the blocks were spread out from the cone path and the red flag at the end was the finish. Both Shiro and Mizuki started at the same time, guns at the ready and weaved through the cone path while at the same time shooting out the targets that came up. Some of the targets were right in front of them while others came from behind. Shiro used his hearing skills when there was a target behind Mizuki and notified her while keeping his eyes alert for the targets in front of him. Mizuki managed to keep up with Shiro's pace until they got to an open spot where four blocks were set up in a square formation and both of them were back to back and took out the targets with ease before reaching the end of the course.

"Very good Team 38. You two were in sync with your shooting and defensive capabilities, but your formation needs a bit of work. Now head over to the course which is wall climbing," said the instructor.

"Yes sir," they replied.

"I know that girls are usually supposed to go first but…I'm just wondering…are you sure you can handle my weight?" asked Shiro.

"I'm sure I can," replied Mizuki.

"Just making sure. I don't want to look where I'm not supposed to look," he answered, blushing slightly.

"Thanks for your courtesy. You're very modest," said Mizuki.

"No problem," he replied.

By the time they got to the wall, the two of them watched a few others do the course before they were called in. Like how they had discussed, Shiro decided to go first so that he might not get reprimanded for looking under a girl's skirt. Some of the others trainees that had finished noticed that Mizuki was the one who was going to give Shiro a leg up.

"Whenever you're ready," said Mizuki, her legs bent slightly and her hands in a cupping position.

"Alright, try and get me to the top in one go. Once I get up, I'll come back for you," explained Shiro, one foot on Mizuki's cupped hands. "On three. One…two…"

"Three," said Mizuki, as she exerted as much strength she could to raise Shiro up to the top of the wall. True to his word, Shiro was slightly bent and extended his hand to Mizuki as she then tried to get over the wall. It took a couple of minutes for Mizuki to find her footing, but once she did, Shiro helped her up over the wall. He was the first to go down and then he caught Mizuki in her arms.

"Very good you two," said the instructor.

Once they had the wall climbing done with, the last exercise they were sent to was a little similar to the first except that it was timed. The course layout was a bit different as were the targets. Instead of bulls-eye targets, there were red and blue targets. The cones that were in place were marked with a yellow stripe that indicated a shooting point.

"Shiro Higurashi," called out one of the instructors.

"Sir!" he replied, with a salute.

"As you can see that the layout of this course is similar to the first except for two things. One, it's timed and two, it will test how well you can differentiate between targets. Red targets are enemies, blue targets are dummies. You will be given 5 minutes to shoot down all red targets or as many as you can until you reach the end of the course. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Alright…ready…"

Shiro already had his gun at the ready, and quickly scanned the area. His magazines had approximately 12 bullets in each casing and he only equipped 4. He already used the first magazine set in the first exercise and half of the second in the first exercise as well, which meant that he only had around six bullets currently in his gun.

"Go!" shouted the instructor.

Several other trainees that were also waiting their turn after Team 38 saw Shiro start on his run. He quickly spotted three reds and then fired his rounds quickly and precisely before it could switch and had already reached his first shooting point. This time, the targets constantly switched before Shiro used his last few rounds and had to quickly reload before taking a quick look up and spotting a red target being covered behind a blue one. He fired a shot and began to maneuver the round past the blue target which barely managed to hit the red one seconds before it could go down.

"Wow, that's impressive," said one of the trainees.

"Nice shot," said the instructor.

Shiro heard but had no time to return the compliment as he quickly moved to the next shooting area while constantly scanning his surroundings for any red targets. Just like he did with the first exercise, Shiro used his sense of hearing to help notify him of any targets that would pop up. Before he reached the second shooting area, he heard a whirring sound and a snap and whirled around, his eye catching a hint of red from the corner of his left eye and fired, while controlling the shot when two blue targets came in front of the red target causing him to have to carefully navigate the shot to hit the red target.

'He's good,' thought Mizuki.

"It's like to this guy he seems to quickly assess and map out the course to find his target," said another trainee.

By the time he reached the second shooting area, which resembled that of what he came across in the first exercise, he saw red and blue targets switching at fast intervals which caused him to have to think on his feet. He almost shot at a blue target until he saw a red one and controlled his shot to move it to the red target knocking it down. Once he cleared that area, he then moved on to the final shooting area while scanning left, right, and behind taking careful notice of each change in target. By the time he reached the end of the course, Shiro had already used three magazine cartridges and his last one had three bullets left.

"Very impressive Number 38. You finished with 3:26.05, shot down 31 red targets, 0 blue targets and had an 85% accuracy rate. Well done," said the instructor.

"Thank you for the compliment sir," replied Shiro, bowing. He then went to the back of the course as Mizuki took her position.

"Mizuki Tenrow…you already heard what I've told your partner. Now let's see how well you perform in this situation. Ready…"

Mizuki had her hand at the holster of her gun, her feet planted on the ground and legs bent.

"Go!"

She took off at a quick sprint and saw a red target which was quickly covered by three blue targets that appeared in front. Taking out her gun and firing a quick shot, she maneuvered the bullet just as she reached the first shooting area as it swerved past the three blue targets hitting the red one as it made the last turn.

'Good…at least she's keeping her cool,' thought Shiro, as he watched intently.

She was a little slower than Shiro in terms of assessing the situation but she reacted quickly enough to compensate for it for the time being. She accidentally shot one blue target as she finished with a time of 2:57.06, shot down 35 red targets, one blue target, and had an accuracy rate of 88%. However, as a result of shooting down a blue target, her number of red targets was reduced by 5 targets, making it 30 red targets.

"You did well out there," said Shiro.

"Thanks, but not as well as you," said Mizuki.

"You made one mistake during that exercise. You could learn from it and try to not make the same mistake again, don't look so down. You actually almost beat me in that last one," said Shiro.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up Shiro," said Mizuki.

By the time they finished, it was already lunch time. The two caught up with Relena and Kaoru who were heading down to a nearby restaurant close to the main facility. The place they ate at resembled that of a sushi bar. Shiro seemed a bit happy considering that like his partner, Mizuki, ate lightly so as not to overwhelm the stomach thereby making it difficult to move at times.

The girls chatted eagerly with one another while Shiro silently sipped his tea and spoke when a question was being directed at him. Relena leaned next to Kaoru's ear and whispered, "Your childhood friend seems very quiet. He doesn't talk much does he?"

"Sometimes. He's either meditating, or mentally preparing himself for what's to come next," said Kaoru.

Their lunch break was somewhat brief having only ordered a few pieces of sushi. By the time they got back, each went to their respective room, changed and got ready for the next training session. Shiro quickly realized that it was mostly the basics and how they were applied, however…something stirred within his mind in which he quickly recalled something that his father had told him when he was younger.

Mizuki was currently working on target practice where several targets were hidden in between trees, while he was waiting his turn. By the time it was Shiro's turn, he knew that he had to put aside the thought in his head for later and focus on what was in front of him now. Just when the two of them thought the physical training was as vigorous and hard-pressing, the exams that they took were just as equally tricky.

Once the day was over, Mizuki had just gotten Shiro some juice when she was heading back to the room that she shared with Shiro. Upon entering, she saw him filling out something when he took a brief glance at her.

"I brought you some juice, in case you were thirsty," she said.

"Thanks. Have you filled out your questionnaire?" asked Shiro, accepting the drink from Mizuki.

"Most of it, except for a few parts," replied Mizuki.

"Have you noticed that some of the questions would almost be just as likely to be asked when being interviewed?" inquired Shiro.

"No…I never thought of it like that," she replied. She then spotted a small case beside his duffel bag and eyed it curiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You play an instrument?" asked Mizuki, pointing to the oddly shaped case.

"Yes, I do," replied Shiro.

"What kind exactly?" asked Mizuki.

"A violin," he replied. "Let me guess…you want me to play a piece?"

"I don't mind. I actually like listening to classical music," said Mizuki.

After filling out his questionnaire, Shiro took the violin and bowstring from its case and put the case standing upright next to his duffel bag. The tune he began playing had a gentle, steady, and really beautiful sound. Mizuki's eyes went wide with surprise as she stared at the young man playing. She then briefly closed her eyes as she listened, letting the tune flow through her ears.

'It's like seeing flowers bloom for the first time,' she thought.

Once he finished playing, she slowly opened her eyes as he gently placed the violin back in its case.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It was beautiful. Who taught you that piece?" asked Mizuki.

"My grandmother on my mother's side really. She died from breast cancer when I was only eight years old," he said.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sure she's probably proud of you and how far you've come," said Mizuki.

"Thanks," said Shiro.

The next few weeks of training went by quickly. On the third week after the afternoon training session there were many trainees that were checking their overall practice results.

"Can you see anything?" asked Shiro.

Mizuki was craning her neck while standing on her tiptoes for support to try and spot their names.

"Found it. Team 38, Higurashi and Tenrow…I don't believe it," said Mizuki.

"What is it?" asked Shiro.

"Would you be surprised if I told you?" asked Mizuki.

"Maybe. Unless you don't want to tell me," said Shiro.

'_**We're in second place**_,' said Mizuki, telepathically.

Shiro blinked for a brief moment, and one of his eyebrows was raised.

'_**Second place huh**_?' wondered Shiro. He craned his neck and looked over a person's shoulder scanning the rankings until he found their number at the top of the list with their names.

Shiro was taken aback and looked at his partner and simply said, "Wow."

"You're not surprised?" asked Mizuki.

"Well…I am but…" began Shiro.

"You just find it hard to believe?" asked Mizuki.

"Yeah," he replied.

Shiro then heard a sudden gasp from the crowd and turned and saw Relena and Karou who were checking their rankings as well.

"Hey you two," called out Mizuki waving her hand at them so that they could see her.

"Hi Mizuki, hey Shiro," greeted Relena.

"How did you two fare?" asked Kaoru.

"Will you promise not to make such a big deal out of it if I told you?" asked Shiro.

"I promise," she said.

"We're in second place," he whispered.

"Are you serious? Good for you guys," said Relena.

"I told you not to make such a big deal out of it," said Shiro.

"What about you two?" asked Mizuki.

"We're in third place," said Kaoru.

"That's not so bad. At least you guys are among the top ones along with us," said Shiro.

The remaining three months before they finished was quite a tough one, especially for Shiro and Mizuki when they found out that they were nearly at the top of their class. However, what caught Mizuki off guard completely was the person that was going to help with the aerial combat training. The person had longer red hair and the same eyes as Mizuki.

"R-Ri-Rika onee-chan?!" stuttered Mizuki.

"Hi," she said in a cheery voice, waving at the pair.

"What are you doing here?" asked Mizuki. "I thought you were taking care of the files of the new recruits over at the Eastern Side."

"Is that how you greet your older sister after having not seen her for so long?" huffed Rika.

"Sorry…it's…nice to see you too," said Mizuki.

"Oh…who's the cutie that you have with you? Is he your boyfriend?" teased Rika.

Mizuki quickly felt heat rushing to her cheeks as she pouted and glared at her older sister.

"He's_ not_ my boyfriend. He's just the partner I got paired up with," retorted Mizuki.

"Sheesh. OK…I was just kidding. Can't you take a joke?" asked Rika. "Nice to meet you…"

"It's Shiro. Shiro Higurashi," he replied. "Nice to meet you too"

"Anyway…one of the instructors called in sick and so I was called in to help replace him. I'm just going to be recording the data and sending it to one of the nearby ones here. So…you both almost reached the top I hear," said Rika.

"That's right," said Shiro. "How'd you know?"

"Word got around pretty quick about you two and your efforts, not to mention that I still have an updated file on you two," explained Rika.

"Wait…so did you update the file yourself or did someone already send you the file?" asked Mizuki.

"Someone sent it over to me after the exam and practice session results were recorded," explained Rika.

"I see," said Shiro.

"Anyway…I'm just here to explain what your guys' course entails," said Rika. "See those four light green orbs above me?"

"Yeah," they replied.

"Those will be hidden within the forest and you two will have to locate and retrieve them," said Rika.

"There's more to this isn't there?" guessed Mizuki.

"You're quite sharp, Mizuki. Though hidden, you'll have to watch each other's back because of these little guys," said Rika.

Several round disc-shaped drones appeared around Rika, each equipped with a small laser.

"They may be small but if you're caught within its firing range, you better watch yourself."

Shiro slightly gulped and felt a bead of sweat go down the back of his head.

'Somehow…I've got a bad feeling about this,' he thought.

On the final month of their training sessions, Shiro slightly shuddered after meeting Mizuki's older sister.

"I'm sorry for the way my sister was acting. She can be a bit…odd at times," said Mizuki.

"It's alright. I've already tried getting used to it," replied Shiro. "Is there a certain reason as to why she does that?"

"Sort of," replied Mizuki.

"It's OK. You don't have to tell me right away. Just whenever you feel comfortable doing so," said Shiro.

Things seemed to be going good for them as well as Relena and Kaoru who managed to survive the last week of training. Even though their graduation from the Ground Forces military academy went well without a hitch, the cheerful atmosphere that surrounded Shiro made his mind a bit oblivious as to the oncoming tragedy that was about to befall upon him.

A week after graduation, Shiro was notified of a call that was regarding him. As soon as he picked up, a small screen showed a young man who appeared to be a few years older than Shiro, had long purple hair and light brown eyes and was wearing a gray suit with a white formal shirt and red tie.

"Is this Shiro Higurashi?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be me," he replied.

"My name is Rio Kuria. I'm an Investigator and also a colleague of your father," he explained.

"I see. What can I do for you?" asked Shiro.

"I've received a notification about your father from one of his partners that is in critical condition," said Rio.

"What happened? Is he alright?" asked Shiro, his voice showing a hint of worry.

"I'm sorry to tell you this sir but…he's dead," replied Rio.

Like I said before…I didn't do much in terms of trying to make certain parts clear in my first attempt. This is my first attempt at re-writing my fanfic, which means that I have to do a lot of re-editing and inserting stuff here and there. It'll be a while before I can get this done. I just hope I can finish without losing any ideas. As for what I originally said before about utilizing other languages for attacks and the like in terms of fighting styles, expect to see some German in there considering I'll be using the Wolkenritter at certain points in my chapters, particularly Vita and Signum. (IMO…Vita is a little tricky for me to write, personality-wise generally speaking). Of course I'm going to add some references from the Sound Stage Drama CDs to help sort of try and give some focus to my OCs as well as try and explain some things about the four forwards from StrikerS.

Next chapter:

Shiro's moment of happiness was cut short from the news of his father's death and just after graduating from the Ground Forces Academy. He, along with his partner Mizuki is now assigned with the Disaster Relief Squad.

Under the watchful eye of Mizuki's father, Tobias Tenrow…the two of them gains some valuable experience while working together. They eventually apply for the Mage Rank Promotion Exam for Class A and are evaluated by Nanoha and Rein. Shiro's childhood friend Kaoru and her partner Relena take their test a couple of weeks later. The only question that lingers in their minds is…will they be transferred over to Section Six if they passed?

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Blazers Ch. 1: Tough Trials and a New Day.

R/R


	2. Chapter 1

Thanks for those that find it alright. I'm trying my best despite being busy with some school work. Unfortunately, it'll be harder for me to try and find some time to write, especially on the weekends and the fact that I'll be moving soon. Can't say where though. The next chapter I'll introduce the other two characters that are mentioned in this chapter. Although I won't go into detail in regards to the promotional exam like I did with my first two OCs. Also, later on in the series, I'll try and go into some detail regarding the background on my "sub-villain". The reason being is that I'll eventually create a few more characters that will help shed some light in regards to the events that suddenly occur. Plus in a few later chapters, I'll be throwing in some songs here and there. Some in Japanese but with the translations on the bottom of the lyrics. I would probably suggest that you listen to it while reading the chapter. I try to set the mood/tone the best I can. I won't go into any further details than that for now. However, I will tell you this. My first main OC is eventually going to undergo a drastic change, not only in skills, but magic type and everything else from weaponry and appearance.

Disclaimer: Same as I stated before. Need I say more?

_Last time on MSLN BlazerS:_

_"Let's see…the room I'm assigned to would be…" said the young man_

_"My assigned room number is…" began the young woman._

_"Number…38" _

_The two of them gave a brief glance to the other when they realized they were put in the same room._

_"I see you're in the same room as I am. My name's Shiro Higurashi, age 16. Just call me Shiro. Nice to meet you," replied the young man._

_"So it seems. I'm Mizuki Tenrow, age 15. It's a pleasure to meet you Shiro-kun," replied the red-head._

_"I guess we're partners from now on," said Shiro. "We should probably unpack and get ready for training sessions."_

_"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking," she said. A sudden gasp escaped the girl's lips when she saw whom she had bumped into._

_"Ka-Karou-sa-san?"_

_"Sh-Shiro-san?"_

_"I can't believe that I'd find you here of all places. It's been a long time," said Shiro._

_"It's been too long, Shiro. Funny that I'd run into you again," said Kaoru._

_"You two know each other?" asked Mizuki._

_"We were neighbors back then when we were little. Shiro's my childhood friend," explained Kaoru._

_"Oh…Kaoru…this is Mizuki Tenrow. She's my roommate and partner. Mizuki…Kaoru," explained Shiro._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kaoru," said Mizuki, extending her hand._

_"Likewise, Miss Tenrow," she replied, accepting it._

_"Who are you partnered with?" asked Mizuki._

_"My name's Relena Gramfield, age 17. Nice to meet you," she said._

_"That would be me," replied a young female voice._

_"Excuse me…you four over there," called out one of the instructors._

_"Yes sir?" asked Shiro._

_"You guys don't seem to use the standard devices. If you'll please head over to the training grounds, so that the other trainees can get through, it would help ease this traffic," said the instructor._

_"Team A, hurry and deploy!" he shouted._

_"Yes sir!" replied Shiro, with Mizuki beside him._

_"You're objective is to clear those objects and maintain formation until you've reached the end of the course, understood?" he explained._

_"Yes sir!" they replied._

_"I know that girls are usually supposed to go first but…I'm just wondering…are you sure you can handle my weight?" asked Shiro._

_"I'm sure I can," replied Mizuki._

_"Just making sure. I don't want to look where I'm not supposed to look," he answered, blushing slightly._

_"Thanks for your courtesy. You're very modest," said Mizuki._

_"No problem," he replied._

_"Can you see anything?" asked Shiro._

_Mizuki was craning her neck while standing on her tiptoes for support to try and spot their names._

_"Found it. Team 38, Higurashi and Tenrow…I don't believe it," said Mizuki._

_"What is it?" asked Shiro._

_"Would you be surprised if I told you?" asked Mizuki._

_"Maybe. Unless you don't want to tell me," said Shiro._

_'**We're in second place**,' said Mizuki, telepathically._

_Shiro blinked for a brief moment, and one of his eyebrows was raised._

_'**Second place huh**?' wondered Shiro. He craned his neck and looked over a person's shoulder scanning the rankings until he found their number at the top of the list with their names._

_Shiro was taken aback and looked at his partner and simply said, "Wow."_

_"Is this Shiro Higurashi?" he asked._

_"Yes, that would be me," he replied._

_"My name is Rio Kuria. I'm an Investigator and also a colleague of your father," he explained._

_"I see. What can I do for you?" asked Shiro._

_"I've received a notification about your father from one of his partners that is in critical condition," said Rio._

_"What happened? Is he alright?" asked Shiro, his voice showing a hint of worry._

_"I'm sorry to tell you this sir but…he's dead," replied Rio._

Ch. 1: Tough Trials and a New Day

"Shiro…hey…Shiro…can you hurry up? My dad's calling us," shouted Mizuki.

"I'll call you again in 30 minutes," said Rio.

"Understood," he replied. His face was still written with shock and disbelief.

'_My father's gone…but how?_' wondered Shiro.

"Shiro!" called out Mizuki.

"I'll be right there," he said, trying to regain his composure. Shiro then spotted Mizuki near the hallway across from where he had just talked with the Investigator. His partner was waiting outside of the academy where a dark blue mini-van was parked. A man that looked to be in his mid forties had a Ground Forces uniform on, had light green eyes and finely combed brown hair stepped out of the mini-van.

"Hi dad," greeted Mizuki, running to him.

"Hey…how's my little sugar pixie?" he asked, giving his daughter a hug. "Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks. Oh…this is my roommate and partner Shiro Higurashi," said Mizuki, introducing him.

"It's nice to meet you sir," replied Shiro, bowing.

"Same here. My name's Tobias Tenrow. He's quite good looking for him to be your partner," he said. "You sure you haven't had any boyfriends while you were there?"

Mizuki quickly felt a blush on her cheeks and pouted from her father's remark.

"Dad…it's not like that at all," she whined.

Her father chuckled seeing his daughter's reaction.

"I was just kidding," he replied, ruffling Mizuki's hair.

"Geez…one from her sister…and now from her father. Does your family always tease you about this matter?" asked Shiro.

"Unfortunately…yes," she replied.

They were currently heading with Mizuki's father over to the Disaster Relief station. Shiro was extremely quiet on the way there which made his partner seem a bit uneasy.

"Hey…are you OK?" asked Mizuki.

"Yeah," he replied.

"You don't look like it. What was that call about?" asked Mizuki.

Shiro was a bit reluctant to answer…but decided that it was best to let it out. However, before he could do so…a finger was placed to his lips.

"It's OK. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said.

"So…I hear that you two were in the top of your class…is that right?" asked Mr. Tenrow.

"That's right Mr. Tenrow. I was a bit surprised really," said Shiro.

"I once knew a lad that did really well and didn't take long for him to learn flight training. He was also stationed at Section Six and that he was quite an asset to the team. He didn't have as much charm to swoon the girls though," he said.

Shiro's left eyebrow went up once upon hearing this description.

"You're referring to my older brother aren't you?" guessed Shiro.

"You're mind's pretty sharp lad, I'll give you that," he replied.

It took a little while to get to the base that Mizuki's father was stationed at for Disaster Relief. The building's exterior looked almost similar to Ground Forces Academy, except for a few things. One, the building was a bit larger and slightly taller, and second, the parking lot was slightly bigger. He showed Shiro around while telling his daughter which room she was staying in.

"My daughter is fortunate to have someone like you as her partner," said Tobias.

"What makes you say that sir?" asked Shiro.

"She used to rely a lot on her older sister back when she was little. My wife constantly teased her about the whole boyfriend thing," he said.

"I see," replied Shiro.

"You seem to be a smart and dependable young man. What kind of career are you planning on going for?" asked Tobias.

"I actually plan on going for Enforcer…sir," replied Shiro.

"Enforcer huh? That's quite a tough one…at least from what I've heard."

"What makes you say that sir?" asked Shiro.

"Can you handle paperwork besides the tough physical training?" asked Tobias.

"I used to organize my stuff back home," explained Shiro. "My late mother used to tell me that keeping things neat brings out positive energy. I've gotten used to tough training before."

"I see…that's good to hear. Although…from what I've heard…Section Six's training can be pretty rough," said Tobias. "Mizuki's room is 243. It has a bunk bed as well…that is…unless you prefer sleeping alone."

"I don't mind actually…although…it does bother me sometimes that I don't have someone to talk to," said Shiro.

"My daughter told me that you don't seem to speak much," said Tobias.

"That's not exactly the case. There are times when I am lost in thought…but it happens from time to time," answered Shiro.

"Just try not to hurt or harm my daughter. One false move…and you're through…got it," warned Tobias.

"Don't worry sir. I'll do nothing of the sort," answered Shiro.

"Just making sure," he said.

Once Shiro found the room that Mizuki's father had mentioned, he knocked a few times before faintly hearing a "come in" from Mizuki. Shiro then slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The room seemed pretty basic. There was one window facing outside, two working stations, a bathroom and a bunk bed.

"You can take the top if you'd like," offered Mizuki.

"That's OK. I prefer the bottom," he replied, as he placed his bag under the bunk bed. He haved a sigh as he did so, which didn't go unnoticed by Mizuki.

"Something's bothering you isn't it?" realized Mizuki.

"Yeah…there is. About that phone call…I received word about my father," said Shiro.

"Is he OK?" asked Mizuki.

"He's dead," replied Shiro, looking down. He heard her gasp and turned and saw her face soften.

"I'm so sorry Shiro," said Mizuki. "Did they explain as to how it happened?"

"Not yet," said Shiro. He then was given a telepathic notice from Mizuki's father that there was a call waiting for him.

A screen opened, showing the same man from before.

"Will you tell me the details of what happened?" asked Shiro.

"Of course. Your father was investigating an old abandoned factory that had a hidden facility underground, along with his team. Sometime later during the investigation, they were ambushed by rogue mages that for some reason began acting strangely, as though they were possessed by something. That was when the disaster happened. One of his team members fell through a pit and discovered something that even Section Six couldn't identify. It resembled a Relic in appearance…however…this was no Relic. Somehow…the team member that fell through the pit started acting strangely. He eventually turned on his teammates, including your father. He killed most of the rouge mages, until the place started to collapse. Your father's remaining teammate tried to stop the traitor, but was badly injured. He managed to save that remaining team member, but he wasn't able to make it out of the collapsed building. The other one escaped with a few barely conscious rouge mages. He was also carrying some black crystal with him as well," explained Rio.

"I see," said Shiro.

"I'm deeply sorry for your loss Shiro. I really am," said Rio. "I'll contact a local agency to help with the other details."

"Thank you…Mr. Kuria," said Shiro, and then the screen disappeared. He had trouble sleeping during the night.

The next three months that they were stationed there was a little difficult for Shiro, considering he took the news of his father's passing pretty hard. Mizuki explained it to her father, who gave the two temporary leave so that Shiro would be able to mourn his father properly. He even decided to help pitch in to help pay for the expenses. Surprisingly however, Shiro's grandparents both from his mom's side and his dad's side decided to help as well, especially his grandfather on his dad's side, considering that was his son. Shiro managed to call his older brother who just came back from an investigation and he too took the news pretty hard. Mizuki's father decided to drive them over to Section Six where Kiyomori, Shiro's older brother, was waiting. Tears were falling from Kiyomori's eyes as Shiro rushed over and hugged him tightly, sobbing into his chest. Mizuki felt her heart ache just seeing the two like this.

"It's really hard for those two. To lose the last bit of family they have left," said Tobias.

"Poor Shiro," said Mizuki, her face softened.

It was at that time when Mizuki and Shiro met Nanoha and the others, as well as the two people in Kiyomori's team. One was a girl with dark green hair and blue eyes and appeared to be in her twenties and the guy beside her appeared to be a year younger and had light brown hair and also had blue eyes. Shiro learned that those two were siblings. His older brother introduced them. The older girl's name was Ruka Hanazumi and her younger brother was Yuki Hanazumi. What Shiro didn't notice is that lately Ruka had been getting a bit close to his older brother.

"We're sorry for your loss you two," said Nanoha.

"Thank you for your concern, Instructor Takamachi," said Shiro.

"Just call me Nanoha. Everyone does," said the brunette.

After discussions were over, preparations for Chiaki Higurashi, Shiro and Kiyomori's father were already being arranged. Even friends and other people that have known him also attended. Shiro and his older brother were in mourning attire, as were a few of their relatives that managed to come over.

Most of the Section Six members gave speeches about Chiaki and how he had affected them, even some of the relatives gave touching speeches about him, yet the most touching and heartfelt one came from none other than his two sons, particularly Shiro, who talked about how his father began telling him about the direction that he wanted to go, how he used to practice with him during the weekends.

Mizuki then quickly understood as to how close Shiro was to his father. Kiyomori already knew what direction he would be going from the moment he set foot onto Section Six. Unlike his younger brother, Kiyomori always held a fascination with the human psyche. Besides taking certain investigative missions with his team, Ruka also had a similar direction in terms of what path she would take.

As the casket was taken away, while Shiro and Kiyomori followed behind Mizuki wanted to try and console him, but was stopped by Kaoru when she placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head as if to say, 'Let them be for a while.'

One of Shiro's grandparents from his father's side told Shiro that he could stay with them after his work at the Disaster Relief was finished. He thanked them and immediately became silent again. Even though his tears already ran dry, inside…he was silently weeping. Kiyomori…being the older brother silently rubbed his younger brother's back and held him gently.

By the time they got to the cemetery, a few soldiers helped Shiro and Kiyomori carry the casket carefully that contained the corpse of their father to the spot that he was to be buried. A priest was already at the burial site as he said a prayer over the dead body. Each of the relatives that manage to make it gave a final farewell before leaving. Shiro was the last to leave after giving a final farewell to his father. As the casket was being lowered, several Ground Force mages gave salute to the fallen soldier.

[Timeframe: 2 Years Later]

Two years had already passed and already Shiro and Mizuki had shown some good progress. They had finished working at Disaster Relief and received a scouting notification from Commander Lieutenant Hayate Yagami. Besides the results and comments as well as the reasons why they were chosen that were in the notification, they looked down a bit further and spotted a series of numbers and a given location. The numbers shown in the letter were: _08305_. As for the location…it was at the 7th Coastal Airport Abandoned Highway. Right now, they along with Mizuki's father and mother were having lunch at a local restaurant within the main capital of MidChilda. The atmosphere seemed pretty vibrant and the place seemed a bit formal.

"So…you two are going to be taking the Mage Ranking Promotion Exam in a couple weeks?" asked Mr. Tenrow.

"Yes sir," replied Shiro.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. It's quite tough but…I'm sure you'll handle it," said Mr. Tenrow.

"You never told me as to how cute and handsome your boyfriend was Mizuki," teased Mrs. Tenrow.

"M-mom! Do you always have to say it like that? He's _not_ my boyfriend," retorted Mizuki, blushing furiously.

Shiro was silently sipping his tea, with one of his eyebrows slightly raised up. 'So it _does_ happen often,' he thought.

"So…when exactly are you two going to be taking the exam?" asked Mrs. Tenrow.

"It's in a few weeks. The location appears to be an abandoned highway at an airport," explained Shiro.

"Considering this is for the A Rank…it's most likely going to be harder than the other ones," said Mizuki.

"Well…since you two were nearly at the top of your class…I'm sure you'll be fine," said Mr. Tenrow.

Shiro pretty much had a simple lunch. Some grilled vegetables, a small helping of rice and some grilled fish. Mizuki had it even lighter than Shiro since she only ordered an appetizer and a small salad. Shiro offered some of his fish to Mizuki who happily accepted. Mizuki's mother was eyeing the two and looked over to her husband, who seemed to have the same thought as she did.

Shiro thanked Mizuki's parents for treating them as they headed back to facility. When they arrived back at headquarters, Shiro immediately began looking for the location of the testing site in terms of trying to get there. Mizuki watched from behind and couldn't help but stifle a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You do realize that it's in a few weeks, right?" asked Mizuki.

"Yeah…so?"

"Don't try and get all tense about it…otherwise when we actually start, you're going to lose focus," said Mizuki.

"Don't you mean that _you_ will lose focus…Mizuki?" said a familiar voice.

Before Mizuki could turn around, Rika was already behind her and her mouth just inches from her left ear, her chest already pressed onto Mizuki's back, her head slightly leaning on her neck.

"Considering that you find him so…amazingly _hot_," teased Rika, her breath hitting Mizuki's ear causing her to slightly tense up and have her hands balled up into a fist.

"Why you!" started Mizuki, about to land a blow on her older sister, which she seemed to easily dodge and laughed at her younger sister's attempt.

"Do you have a thing with flirting with the same gender as you or is that just a hobby?" asked Shiro, as he continued his research.

That comment was enough to stop the two and silence filled the room.

"You could at least try and take your teasing down a few notches. It's making me feel uneasy," said Shiro.

"Well _sorry_. I was just trying to lighten up the mood," said Rika.

"Lighten up the mood my foot. You are such a _rabbit_, I swear…ugh," groaned Mizuki. "Can't you just leave us alone for a bit?"

"Why? So that you two can go at it while I'm gone?" asked Rika.

"OK. Now _that_'_s_ a bit perverted…even coming from one such as yourself. You're supposed to be a role model to your younger sister and yet you can't seem to control your mature jokes even a bit," said Shiro, starting to slightly get annoyed.

"Alright, alright. Sorry…I just wanted to make you guys laugh," grumbled Rika.

"If you wanted to make us laugh, you could have tried to hire a comedian," said Shiro. That comment suddenly caused Mizuki to chuckle a bit.

"Thanks but…I think we'll be just fine…sis," said Mizuki.

After Rika left, Shiro heaved out a big sigh after not being able to come up with anything.

"I apologize for the comment I made earlier," said Shiro.

"It's alright. She does this from time to time," said Mizuki.

"Is there a certain reason why?" asked Shiro.

Mizuki was silent for a few moments and Shiro almost took it as a hint to leave it be, that is…before she replied, "Yes…there is."

"If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you don't need to tell me," said Shiro.

On the time of the exam, Mizuki's father drove them to the designated test area and it was from there that the two had to find the marked spot according to the map that they were given. The starting point was at a really battered yet still standing tall building with broken glass windows and cracks and dents everywhere. They had to take a long flight of stairs to the rooftop where the starting point would be. Once there, both began to make their preparations prior to the start of the exam, which…according to Shiro's watch which read 0820 (8:20 a.m.), would start in ten minutes. Mizuki turned to Shiro who was just checking the number of rounds his magazines had. He had a total of 10 magazines (9 around his belt, and the one currently in his gun) with approximately 12 cartridges each, thereby making a total of 120 cartridges. Mizuki carried 2 more than Shiro and had only 10 cartridges in each magazine.

"Shiro…I was wondering…if the path to the finish line is so long, how exactly are we going to get to the end of it?" asked Mizuki.

"Well…we didn't let our efforts at the Ground Forces Academy go for naught…you almost run twice as fast as I do," said Shiro.

"That's true," said Mizuki.

"If we actually pass on this one…how about some ice cream, my treat," offered Shiro.

"You're very kind Shiro. I'll take you up on that offer," said Mizuki, slightly blushing.

A buzzer sounded, signaling that the exam was about to get started. A huge monitor screen showed a young girl with long blue hair sporting a yellow x crossed ribbon and blue eyes wearing a Ground Forces uniform.

"Good morning. Now are the two mages that are going to be taking this exam present right now?" she asked.

"Yes m'am," they replied.

"I'm going to confirm this then. Is Time Space Administration Bureau 347th Battalion Private 2nd Class Shiro Higurashi present?" she asked.

"Yes m'am," he replied.

"Private 2nd Class Mizuki Tenrow of the same battalion?" she asked.

"Present, m'am," she replied.

"You two are currently Rank B mages and are taking the qualifying mage exam for A Rank, is that correct?" she asked.

"Yes m'am," said Shiro.

"That would be correct m'am," said Mizuki.

"Alright. Today's examiner will be me. Major Sergeant Reinforce Zwei. Nice to meet you," said the unison device, giving a salute.

"Thank you for taking us," they said in unison, returning salute.

"Oh…before I give the details of your exam…Shiro Higurashi…Lieutenant Yagami told me to give you her regards. How are you feeling right now?" asked Rein.

"I'm doing OK. It's a bit difficult knowing that he's no longer around. However…I know he's probably in a better place right now. I was surprised to learn that he was betrayed, yet I know he did his best," replied Shiro.

"I'm sure your father would be proud of you right now," said Rein.

"Thank you, Sergeant Major," said Shiro.

"Just call me Rein. Most usually do," said the unison device. "Now…about the details regarding your exam…just to let you two know that each exam is never the same for all ranks. Considering that you two are going for the A Rank exam…there's a few differences between the Rank A and B exams. Though the set up is the same for both, in Rank A there will be several aerial drones hidden throughout the course. In addition to the targets already present, you'll have to destroy those too. "

'_Which probably explains why aerial mages are suited for those types of situations,' _thought Shiro.

"Oh…and there are also dummy targets as well, so try not to destroy those. Be wary of incoming fire and try destroy all targets and reach the goal before time runs out. Now…are there any questions?" asked Rein.

"I don't have any," said Shiro.

"Neither do I," replied Mizuki.

"OK. We'll be starting shortly. Let's meet each other over at the goal," said Rein. The monitor screen disappeared and was quickly replaced with a signaling light with 3 orbs. Each one disappeared by 5 seconds.

'**_You cover the back, I'll cover the front…got it?_**' asked Shiro, telepathically, once the first orb disappeared.

'**_Sure_**,' she replied, as the second disappeared.

"Ready…" began Shiro, as the last orb went red.

As soon as the "START" message appeared, he yelled "GO!"

Unbeknownst to either of them, several 100 feet above them was a white helicopter observing the two. Enforcer Fate T. Harlaown and Commander Lieutenant Hayate Yagami were watching from a monitor as the two began their exam.

"Do you really think Shiro can handle this? I mean…he just lost his father and all," said Fate.

"Well…after hearing the response that he gave to Rein…I think it shows that he might just be ready to move on," said Hayate.

Shiro found a runway that led to a stairwell down the building they were on. Up ahead was an even taller building and Shiro then took out his gun and attached the grappling hook below the barrel. A quick 'chink' sound indicated that it was locked in place. The winder of Shiro's gun slightly shifted before he began winding it a few turns and fired. The hook hit the near top of the building and was securely placed.

"Mizuki…grab hold," said Shiro. Mizuki held on tight as Shiro pulled the trigger lifting them up.

"You take care of the ones inside, I got top," explained Shiro. "I'm letting go now."

"Got it," said Mizuki, as Shiro let go of his partner. Mizuki shielded her body as the glass shattered upon impact. Already there were several auto-spheres within firing range. Mizuki had her gun at the ready and began firing while utilize various acrobatic skills to dodge the incoming fire. She then loaded a few cartridges to convert her gun to crossbow form. She quickly took aim and fired her arrows. It pierced the barrier and went through the auto-sphere, destroying it. She ran passed a corner where a few more were waiting. She loaded one cartridge and fired several arrows at them. One shot missed but the last shot found its target.

Shiro was above with his gun already set. He already destroyed a majority of the red targets within the section of the building in front of him and already used half of his first magazine. However, as he progressed, he saw several auto-spheres targeting him.

"Heh…looks like I'll have to switch forms now," said Shiro. He loaded a cartridge from his gun and then gave it a hard flick, causing it to change from gun form to the long curved blade.

"Now _that's_ interesting. Converting from a gun form to a sword form. Just what kind of form is this guy using?" wondered Fate.

"It's hard to tell…but…from the looks of it, it seems that he's more Belkan than Mid-Childan. His partner definitely looks more Mid-Childan, especially with that crossbow form," replied Hayate.

Already the auto-spheres were firing and Shiro kept blocking shots with his sword or knocking them out of the way. He then did a series of mid-air twirls before breaking the barrier with his sword and cutting through them. There were a few more in the distance, which caused Shiro to load a cartridge and revert the sword to dagger mode. He then stood before the auto-spheres that began to fire before running into it. Several daggers appeared around him before being launched at the auto-spheres in a quick flash. The daggers found their mark and destroyed the spheres. Shiro spotted an oncoming ledge from the building and jumped. While in the air he did a series of complicated twirls before landing on the ground and continued on. His partner appeared beside him a few seconds later finished with her end.

"Good timing," said Mizuki.

"Likewise," said Shiro.

"Shiro seems to almost use a style that is similar to yours in a way Fate-chan," said Hayate.

"How so?" asked Fate.

"Well…considering you're more close range combat and only use shots at a distance…Shiro's style almost seems to reflect yours in a way," explained Hayate.

"That may be true, but his scabbard sort of reminds me of…" began Fate.

"Sub-Commander Signum," finished Hayate, who didn't even have to guess. "However…I'm guessing that in terms of swordplay…his style is going to be a bit different from hers. I'm probably going to have to call a friend of his father's to do me a little favor."

"Why can't you just call him after the exam?" asked Fate. "Can't it wait?"

"I suppose. Although Nanoha is the one that will evaluate their performance and see if they pass," said Hayate.

"Considering they're taking the A Rank exam…I'm guessing that there's…aerial drones as well," inquired Fate.

"A few. Those will test how they may be able to attack them from the ground. If they manage to destroy them, then they might be ready for aerial training soon, if they manage to pass that is," explained Hayate.

As the two of them reached a tunnel filled with red and blue targets as well as auto-spheres, several aerial drones appeared in front of them and had more laser turrets than the auto-drones. Shiro loaded a cartridge and reverted the dagger back to the long curved sword form. Mizuki was behind him, her gun at the ready.

"I'll provide cover, you shoot," said Shiro.

"That's easier said than done," replied Mizuki.

The aerial drones began firing their shots while Shiro kept blocking or deflecting a majority of the hits. While Shiro was defending, Mizuki managed to find a few openings and fired her shots, before having to be behind Shiro to get protection. After about five minutes, the aerial drones were destroyed and the two of them continued on. Mizuki shot at the red targets while Shiro used his acrobatics to dodge and gain some air to slice at the auto-spheres.

"Those two seem to work pretty well," said Fate.

"It seems clear to me now that Shiro uses more Belkan than he does Mid-Childan. He only seems to use it when need be," said Hayate.

"Now let's see how they do on the final challenge," said Fate.

"At least we've cleared most of it," said Mizuki, catching her breath.

"Considering the amount of time we have. However, we shouldn't ease up yet. The worst is still ahead," reminded Shiro.

"Don't need to tell me that twice," said Mizuki.

"Sorry," he replied. Shiro suddenly let out a slight gasp of surprise, which caught Mizuki's curiosity.

"What is it Shiro?" she asked.

Shiro didn't respond to the question, he quickly loaded a cartridge and with his hand to the circle-shaped guard, gave it a spin and then regarded Mizuki.

"Mizuki…" he began.

"Yes…Shiro?" she wondered.

"You should move fast," he said.

"There's something behind me…isn't there?" inquired Mizuki, to which Shiro nodded.

An auto-sphere that was a few feet behind Mizuki was already taking aim.

"Move…now!" shouted Shiro. Mizuki made a quick dash and the auto-sphere fired a shot to which Shiro responded with an attack of his own.

"Akairyuu…issen," said Shiro. The blade began to glow a bright red before he gave a downward slice, sending the wave of energy towards the auto-sphere, slicing through the barrier and cleaving it in half.

"So that's how your sword skill works," realized Mizuki.

"Now you know, without me having to tell you," said Shiro.

"Thanks for warning me," said Mizuki.

"No problem. Now…let's get to the final challenge so we can end this," said Shiro.

"It won't be easy but…I think I have a way to distract it. This appears to be the location of that final challenge," said Mizuki, who then opened a map of the whole area and then a red dot began flashing indicating that could be the place.

"So how are you going to distract it?" asked Shiro.

"I've been developing a skill that sort of acts like a decoy. It's supposed to work like a silhouette…except…the silhouette isn't going to be me but objects," explained Mizuki.

"So…like what…orbs?" guessed Shiro.

"Yes. It also drains a lot of energy from me…so I can only hold it for a certain amount of time," explained Mizuki. "It also allows the opponent to be distracted for a certain window of time. During that time…you can find a way inside the building and then take out whatever's there."

"Sounds like a plan. But are you sure you can handle it?" asked Shiro.

"There's no time for that. We should hurry. Time is of the essence," said Mizuki.

"Can't argue with you on that one," said Shiro.

Nanoha had overheard what Mizuki explained to Shiro from one of the nearby surveillance searchers.

"Hmm…sounds very similar to Teana's Fake Silhouette technique," said Nanoha.

"Well…I can't break through walls that well…so…I'm going to have to go through a window," realized Shiro.

"Can you try and reach it?" asked Mizuki.

"If you can provide a good enough distraction, I might," said Shiro.

As the two of them reached the end of the tunnel and were once again outside wide open for an attack, Mizuki then sent a telepathic message to Shiro, who had reverted his sword to gun form and attached his grappling hook to it.

'**_The building you're facing is probably where it is. I'll try and draw its fire while you get inside_**,' explained Mizuki.

'**_Got it. Be careful_**,' said Shiro.

'**_You too_**,' replied Mizuki.

Shiro then began his run while Mizuki was using a technique that projected a series of small shields that would constantly move to where the shot was being fired. The large auto-sphere already began firing as soon as Shiro came out. He had to use a series of flips and twirls to dodge the incoming fire until he spotted an opening and went running towards the building. Mizuki then cupped her hands and gave Shiro a quick boost up. Pointing his gun supposedly at the section where the large auto-sphere was situated, he fired the grappling hook at a nearby window, pulled the trigger allowing himself to be lifted up as he swung. He reached a lower section of the building, which would be beyond the auto-sphere's firing range. Mizuki then took cover and then began the orb silhouette distraction.

Fate and Hayate continued to watch through the monitor and the Enforcer noticed Shiro climbing up the building the way he was.

"Interesting tactic, though it's a bit dangerous," said Fate.

"It seems he knows some of his limits. He might not be able to break through a wall, but at least he seems to know where he's going," said Hayate.

As soon as Shiro remembered the section that the auto-sphere was on, he kept on running up until he reached the section of the building that the large auto-sphere was placed. Shiro had to detach the grappling hook and rebound off the building before he was able to see the ceiling and fired his grappling hook again. Once attached, Shiro pulled the trigger to be pulled forward. He did a rolling dive upon entry and then retreated behind a concrete pillar before the auto-sphere could fire a shot, as Mizuki saw small hints of light coming from within the section that Shiro was in. The good news was that the auto-sphere spotted some of the orbs and withdrew its attention from Shiro for the time being.

'**_Shiro…are you alright?_**' asked Mizuki, when she saw where he was.

'**_I'm fine. I've managed to get inside. Keep trying to draw it's attention_**,' said Shiro.

Checking his cartridge supply, he realized that he only had three full magazines left. Shiro then decided to waste no more time as he loaded a couple of cartridges to revert the gun to sword form. He then took out a cartridge from one of his full magazines and loaded it into the sword. Shiro then spun the circle guard, which then caused the blade to glow red with energy and then ran towards the auto-sphere. The auto-sphere detected him and began firing at Shiro. He deflected each shot and then struck at the barrier which proved to be pretty strong. Shiro kicked off the barrier and flipped back, his feet planted at the face of a concrete pillar before rebounding and launching his attack at the barrier which hit it, before loading another cartridge and striking again. Sparks flew as the sword came in contact with the barrier. Shiro suddenly heard a cracking sound coming from the barrier and then with a quick downward slice of his sword, the force from the strike cut through the barrier exposing the auto-sphere. Shiro had to constantly dodge the incoming shots until a blue barrier surrounded him.

'**_ Mizuki…is that you_?**' wondered Shiro.

Fate and Hayate looked from the monitor and saw Mizuki standing on the ruined highway with a blue magic circle below her, her right arm outstretched.

'**_Yeah…it's me. This was another skill that I was working on while we trained. Synchro Barrier. It's designed to be in sync with your movements. In short…wherever you move, it moves with you_**,' explained Mizuki.

Shiro then loaded two cartridges into his sword and then gave a hard spin on the circle-shaped guard, which then caused the sword to glow with a bright red energy that wrapped around its body.

"Inferno Striker!" he shouted, as he unleashed a series of slashes that when he finished, almost resembled a symbol. Once destroyed, Shiro then went to a broken window opening and saw Mizuki below on the highway. He then reverted his sword to gun form again before attaching his grappling hook and leaped out before firing the hook which hit the side of the highway and pulling the trigger which pulled him forward as he swung. Once back on the highway, the two of them continued on their way towards the end of the exam course. Along the way, there were a few red targets circling and one blue target. It was set up in a triangle formation around the blue target, which the setup was about five feet away from the goal line.

"Incoming obstacle. There's three red targets surrounding a blue one. Do you think you can shoot them down without hitting the blue one?"asked Shiro.

"No problem," said Mizuki, as she fired three shots from her gun and controlled the shots as she ran. Since the red targets were circling around the blue target, she managed to hit two out of the three red targets but the last one barely touched the blue target and went passed the last red target, before it turned around and hit the red target when it was in front of the blue.

"Alright, all targets destroyed," said Rein, watching from a distance.

"How much time do we have?" asked Shiro.

"Less than 2 minutes," replied Mizuki. "We'll never make it at this rate."

"I've got an idea," said Shiro. "Grab hold of me."

Mizuki did as she was told and Shiro then had his gun raised with grappling hook attached and pointed at a somewhat ruined highway information sign and fired the hook. As they ran, Shiro pulled the trigger, which lifted them up as they swung forward. Shiro then let the hook lose as they came back down and then fired the grappling hook again at the next sign. By the time they reached the fourth highway sign, they were about half a mile away from the goal with a minute remaining. The two of them managed to reach the goal with only 20 seconds to spare.

"Good job you two. The exam is over. Nanoha is going to look over your results," said Rein.

The two of them rested catching their breaths while Rein sent over the details to Nanoha. They were then brought to the Ground Forces HQ where Lieutenant Yagami then explained to Shiro and Mizuki about the main focus of the squad. A few minutes later, Nanoha entered the room and went to discuss about the results from Shiro and Mizuki's exam.

"You both seem to have gotten the techniques, as well as having regard for your partner's safety and were able to foresee some accidents. As for the entry into the building that you did Shiro, it was a valiant effort. You both seemed to have followed the rules of the exam," said Nanoha.

The two of them were silent as Nanoha and Rein briefly looked at each other and then back at Shiro and Mizuki.

"After looking over your exam results, as well as your magical powers and abilities into consideration…I'm happy to say that you two have passed," said Nanoha.

Mizuki let out a sudden gasp of surprise and Shiro's eyes almost went wide-eyed.

"Did I hear that correctly?" asked Shiro.

"That's right. You two passed the exam," said Rein.

"Congratulations you two," said Hayate.

"Thank you very much," they both said at the same time.

"Oh…and Shiro…about your fighting style…I have to admit it seemed somewhat familiar. By any chance are you more of a Belkan-type?" asked Hayate.

"For the most part…yes. I'm guessing daggers also fall into that category?" inquired Shiro.

"In a way…it sort of does," answered the Lieutenant. "You might want to have your device recalibrated."

"I'll look into that thanks," said Shiro.

"I was thinking of enlisting you two as forwards for Section Six. The work may be hard, but through the experience that you two will get, it'll give you better chances of getting promoted higher," said Hayate. "What do you two think?"

Shiro and Mizuki looked at each other for a brief moment but from the expressions on their faces which seem to be written with uncertainty almost reminded Fate and Hayate of Subaru Nakajima and Teana Lanster after their exam.

"Considering you two are going for Enforcer, if you two have no objections, I should be able to give you two some advice," said Fate.

"I don't have any whatsoever," said Shiro.

"We'd be honored," said Mizuki.

"You two will be under Nanoha's command and learn magic and tactics from her," said Fate.

"It'll be tough just to let you two know," said Nanoha. "Are you up to it?"

"Of course," said Mizuki.

"We'll do our best," said Shiro.

"Oh…just to let you know, training starts tomorrow," said Nanoha.

"That was fast," said Mizuki.

"I'm not surprised," said Shiro.

"Why's that?" wondered Mizuki.

"Usually on the first day of school, you're supposed to show up on time. In this case…since it has to do with our training, it'd only be protocol to show up when being called upon and also knowing when training usually starts," explained Shiro.

"Good answer Shiro," said Fate.

"We'll see you two tomorrow," said Nanoha.

"Congratulations again, you two," said Hayate.

"Thank you very much," they said in unison.

Shiro and Mizuki decided to rest first before heading out to get some ice cream to celebrate. Shiro had taken out his violin and sat beside his partner who was lying down on the grass.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Shiro.

"Nothing much. Just on how my parents are doing as well as my sister," said Mizuki.

"You never told me as to what your mother does for a living," said Shiro.

"She's a fashion designer actually. I heard that sometimes she gets orders from a family that goes by the last name Shouzou," said Mizuki. "They're pretty rich from what I hear. Sometimes she gets expensive gifts from them to show their appreciation."

Shiro had one of his eyebrows go up at that being mention. "She must be quite an artist," said Shiro.

"She sort of is at the same time," said Mizuki. "At least I'll be able to tell them that we passed."

"True. I hope that Kaoru and Relena do well on theirs," said Shiro.

"I'm sure they'll do fine," said Mizuki. "I was sort of wondering…did your father actually know that you wanted to be an Enforcer?"

"Yeah…he did in a way. He could tell by how hard I tried to train myself. He helped me with a majority of the stuff, mostly physical," explained Shiro.

"I see," replied Mizuki.

She was silent for a brief moment before calling Shiro's name.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was wondering…could you probably…you know…play that beautiful piece for me again?" she asked.

From a distance Nanoha and Hayate were watching the two.

"It seems that it's clear that those two will definitely enlist," said Hayate.

"I heard that a childhood friend of Shiro's is also planning on taking their mage ranking promotion exam in two days," said Nanoha.

"That's right. They were also stationed in Disaster Relief but in a different battalion. Looks like you're going to have to make preparations again," said Hayate. "What about those other two candidates?"

Nanoha then pulled out the records that Hayate seem to be referring to. One appeared to be about 18 years old and had silver hair and lime green eyes. The other appeared to be the same age had light green hair in a wild hairstyle and brown eyes. She then pulled out Kaoru and Relena's profiles as well.

"Shouzou Kaname and Katsudou Setsuna. They already did their exam while Shiro and Mizuki were still in Disaster Relief," said Nanoha. "Relena Gramfield and Hanataba Kaoru…these two are the ones that will take their exam in two days."

"Looks like you'll be quite busy," said Hayate. "Just try not to overdo it."

"Geez…lieutenant…what do you take me for?" asked Nanoha.

"Don't worry about it Nanoha. I'll help examine them for you," said Rein.

"Thanks Rein," replied Nanoha. "I could use the extra help."

It was then that Shiro began playing a beautiful, steady, and graceful tune from his violin that caused Nanoha and Hayate to look down and listen. A few minutes later Fate and Rein came by and saw her best friend and childhood friend looking down. The Enforcer and Major Sergeant looked at the direction they were and noticed Shiro playing the violin. Fate closed her eyes and listened along with Nanoha and Hayate.

'**_It seems as though he's not only good with weapons, but…also with a musical instrument_**,' said Nanoha.

'**_It's such a beautiful piece. I think he might accidentally swoon some of our female staff members with his playing and looks_**,' joked Hayate.

'**_Hopefully it won't cause "that" much of a problem_**,' said Nanoha.

'**_He's really good_**,' said Fate.

'**_Oh…Fate-chan. When did you get here?_**' asked Nanoha.

'**_A few minutes ago_**,' replied Fate.

After Shiro had finished playing the piece, he looked down and noticed Mizuki lying on his lap.

"Thanks Shiro. I needed that," said Mizuki.

"You seem more relaxed now than a while ago," said Shiro. "So…shall we get going?"

"Where to exactly?" asked Mizuki.

"I _did_ promise to treat you to some ice cream, did I not?" inquired Shiro.

As the two of them walked out of the main building of the Ground Forces HQ, Shiro then hailed a taxi to take them to the central Mid-Childan train station. Mizuki felt tired and decided to lean on Shiro's left shoulder. He carefully let her head down to rest on his lap, unbeknownst to the driver of the cab. By the time they reached their destination, Shiro gently shook Mizuki to let her know and paid the cab driver and the two of them then went down the block near the train station and around a corner in which Mizuki immediately spotted an ice cream vendor. As promised, Shiro decided to pay for their orders. He went for a single scoop of strawberry while Mizuki went with vanilla. They managed to find a bench nearby and ate their ice cream there. The two of them gave a quick toast to each other before slowly eating their ice cream.

"Thanks for treating me," said Mizuki, as she licked her ice cream.

"Sure thing. Although…it was thanks to your efforts that we passed," replied Shiro.

"Y-you didn't do so bad yourself," said Mizuki, slightly blushing from Shiro's comment. A small trickle of the melted ice cream from Shiro's cone slowly began to run down his left hand. "Your ice cream is dripping."

"Huh…oh…I see," said Shiro. He licked around the mouth of the cone where the strawberry ice cream was melting and then put the ice cream cone on his right hand.

Mizuki stared at Shiro as he slowly licked and sucked off the melted section off his fingers one by one and twirled his tongue around almost in a sensual way and felt heat rushing to her cheeks.

'He looks kinda hot when he does that. It looked a bit sexy too. Wait…what am I saying? He's my partner and I shouldn't have such thoughts like that. Bad Mizuki, bad!' she thought, berating herself.

"Is something wrong?" asked Shiro, who resumed eating his ice cream and was almost halfway through.

"N-no…it's nothing," said Mizuki, who then began to continue eating hers.

The two of them ate in silence for a brief moment before Mizuki blushed slightly as to what came to her mind, as she ate.

"Um…Shiro…" began Mizuki.

"Yes?" he wondered.

"Would you…like to try…some of mine?" asked Mizuki, blushing furiously.

"Sure. I'm asking you the same question," said Shiro.

"I guess," said Mizuki.

"Don't worry…I won't bite," said Shiro, slowly giving Mizuki his to let her try and Mizuki doing the same.

The two of them were blushing furiously as their faces were just a few inches from each other yet Shiro managed to regain his composure and take a quick lick and then pull his head away. Mizuki was still blushing as she took a few licks from Shiro's and then pulled back her head.

"It's pretty smooth, kinda light," said Shiro.

"Yours was pretty sweet, luckily not too sweet," said Mizuki.

Mizuki slightly blushed after what they did and turned away.

'We…we almost kissed, but we haven't known each other that long yet,' thought Mizuki.

After finishing their ice cream, Shiro looked at his watch which then read 1635 (4:35 p.m.) and the two of them headed down to the train station to get their licenses updated. Surprisingly, after the licenses were updated, as soon as Shiro turned around, he saw Relena and Kaoru disembark from the train. Relena squealed with delight upon seeing them.

"Oh my goodness…Shiro. Good to see you, and Mizuki as well," said Relena.

"Likewise Relena," said Mizuki. "You act as though you haven't seen us in weeks."

"Of course we haven't. We were stationed in different battalions. Luckily for you and Shiro that you were stationed with your father," said Relena.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy in that voice?" asked Shiro, in a sort of odd tone.

"Not at all Shiro. It's good to see you again," said Kaoru.

"Same here. Pretty as ever I see. How have you two ladies been doing?" asked Shiro.

"We're almost done with our work. Kaoru is staying with me tomorrow and that our promotion exam is the following day," explained Relena.

"How can you tell?" asked Mizuki.

"We received a notice from Lieutenant Yagami," replied Kaoru.

"Oh. I see," said Mizuki.

"How did your exam go?" asked Relena.

"We passed," said Shiro.

"Oh…seriously? Oh…we should go celebrate," said Relena.

"Thanks but…Shiro already treated me to some ice cream," said Mizuki.

"He did what? Oh…how sweet of you," said Kaoru.

"You're not jealous Kaoru?" asked Mizuki.

"How can I be jealous?" she asked.

"But…you two are childhood friends, right?" inquired Mizuki.

"That's true, but…I've seen Shiro as nothing more than a friend. Kind of like a brother to me," said Kaoru.

"I see," said Mizuki.

As Fate and Nanoha were heading back to base, Nanoha pulled up Shiro and Mizuki's profiles and looked them over.

"Do you think that he'll be fine once he enlists?" wondered Fate.

"I'm sure. He and his partner are assigned to your care, right?" asked Nanoha.

"Yes, they are. Are Kaname and Setsuna going to be assigned to you?" asked Fate.

"I talked with Hayate about it and she told me they are," replied Nanoha. She then brought up Relena's and Kaoru's profiles after closing up Shiro's and Mizuki's profiles. "What about these two?"

"I'm guessing that since both of them are Belkan-types…they're most likely going to be trained with Vita, although Kaoru doesn't seem to move that fast, so…I'm guessing that she might be with me," said Fate.

Relena and Kaoru decided to treat Shiro and Mizuki to a quick dinner at a nearby fast-food restaurant. Since Shiro usually ate pretty light, he just went for a veggie sandwich and some water. Mizuki went with a grilled chicken sandwich and some lemonade, Kaoru also went with the same order as Mizuki, while Relena went with a regular cheeseburger and a soda. By the time they finished it was already 1845 (8:45 p.m.). Shiro and Mizuki thanked Relena and Kaoru who then called a friend of her mother's and drove off to Relena's place while they went back to the train station, got their tickets and went onboard the train.

However, as Shiro slept as the train was going, he was slightly shivering a bit, while Mizuki then unfolded a blanket that was placed onto the seats as well as a pillow and propped it on Shiro's head and looked at his sleeping form.

'He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping, it's kinda cute,' thought Mizuki, who was suddenly blushing in an instant. 'Don't be silly, you crazy girl. He's your partner for crying out loud.'

Unbeknownst to Shiro that the odd dream he was having now will eventually show some significance and a case that was thought to be unsolvable will come into light.

Once they got to Section Six headquarters, Nanoha and Fate showed the two the dorm rooms in which they would be living in as being enlisted in Section Six. The setup was almost similar to that of the rooms in the Ground Forces training academy, except that in the one they had, the beds were not bunk beds, but separate beds. There were very few rooms that were large within the dorms. Unbeknownst to either of them, the room that belonged to Fate and Nanoha, as well as Vivio, was a floor above them.

"Do you think they'll do well?" asked Fate, as they headed up to their room.

"That all depends. Only time will tell, Fate-chan," replied Nanoha.

Once Shiro and Mizuki had unpacked and settled in, the two climbed into bed and telepathically told each other "Good night" before nodding off to sleep. When they woke up the next morning to get ready for training, Shiro saw a familiar person walking by from the corner of his eye as he got up and prepped up. What he didn't know is that the Investigator known as Rio Kuria also did part-time teaching at Section Six and that the training that most would not expect from Nanoha, was only going to be raised even higher when _he_ was around.

That would be it for my first chapter. The last part before the end that I added in which come into focus once Shiro learns that his older brother was captured somehow, yet Ruka and her younger brother Yuki manages to escape and they explain the situation to Hayate and the two captains, Nanoha and Fate, as well as Shiro, but that comes in later chapters. As for list of terms, I'm going to only do this when it comes to abilities and attacks.

Next chapter:

Shiro and Mizuki's training gets underway at Section Six and there's a surprise trainer that would be assisting them considering that Nanoha had to help prepare for two more exams. Two newcomers will be enlisting also to Section Six, as well as Shiro's childhood friend and her partner. The training slowly starts to get intense as four of the six forwards are introduced to the staff members and begin to get an idea of what it is like within the walls of Section Six.

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Blazers Ch. 2: New Friends and Quick Changes

List of Japanese Terms:

Akairyuu…issen – red dragon flash (A/N: Shiro uses a different sword-fighting style compared to Signum, this is just one of his various blade skills).

-chan: usually referred to as a friend.


	3. Author Note

I know that it's been a while since I've written on my fanfic, but since I realized that I keep repeating the same mistake while writing it, I've decided to put the rest of the fanfic project on hold until I've cleared out most of the clutter in the previous chapters. Sorry for the holdup, but I'll have to give the fanfic a big overhaul with editing.

Yami Kero


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